UVA Gives New Stadium Hard Sell

On Tuesday, June 13, UVA Associate VP for Business Operations Richard Kovatch stood in front of a somnolent crowd at Newcomb Hall and did his best to make the impending debut of the John Paul Jones Arena a truly seismic event. The numbers were indeed impressive: 366,000 square feet, 15,000-plus seats, 20 luxury suites, 175 TV monitors, 350 restrooms—and all for the low, low price of just $129 million. But wait, there’s more! How about those retractable lower seats, or the massive elephant doors? (“For both trucks and actual elephants,” Kovatch tried to joke.) And don’t forget the “special academic and dining section” for athletes (what, they’re not pampered enough already?), along with an attendant sports museum and hall of fame. And if the whole thing is starting to sound just a little too, you know, huge, not to worry. The John also comes equipped with a vast rolling curtain to create a “more intimate” venue (“for the women’s games,” Kovatch added helpfully).Now all they have to do is fill it, which is where the entertainment comes in. As Kovatch read through the upcoming schedule of events, you could almost hear the head-scratching commence. O.K., DMB (or “David” Matthews, as Kovatch called him) is a sure sell-out, but Cirque du Soleil, pro wrestling and Larry the Cable Guy? All class acts, sure, but is this really why they built one of the largest arenas in the ACC? Kovatch characterized ticket sales rather unspecifically as “extremely strong.” As he moved onto parking logistics, people began to drift from the room, and one person perusing the promotional literature was heard to say, “What, exactly, is ‘cirky do soleel?’”—Dan Catalano

When Bank of America closes its branch doors downtown in February, it leaves a grand 1916 building in its wake that will house a steakhouse, according to building owner Hunter Craig. And while he declined to identify the grilled meat purveyor, he did say it would be locally owned, not a

Elizabeth Valtierra was nervous. Like many across the nation, the Charlottesville High School senior spent election night with her family, gathered around a television in the living room. As the earliest states were called for Donald Trump, her family made jokes and tried to laugh it off. They

These days, Richard Spencer, class of 2001, is being voted least popular by his former classmates at UVA and his Dallas prep school, St. Mark’s. Spencer, who says he coined the term “alt-right” and is president of the white nationalist National Policy Institute, has raised the ire of some UVA

And the next election cycle begins Charlottesville Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania says he’ll seek his boss’ job in 2017. Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Chapman plans to retire after 24 years as the city’s top prosecutor. And state Senator Bryce Reeves officially threw his hat into

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An overflow crowd packed City Council chambers December 5 for Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy’s first appearance since the racist, misogynist and homophobic tweets he made before taking office were released on Thanksgiving. And the man who created the firestorm, Jason Kessler, showed up with a petition

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Tired of tucking tags into your new party dress so you can return it after you wear it to a big event? You’re in luck—two local innovators have solved that problem for you. And it’s completely legal. Introducing Rohvi, a technology platform that allows subscribers to buy full-price items at

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Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy, a teacher at Albemarle High School, has agreed to take an administrative leave of absence while the school division investigates “vulgar” tweets he made before being elected to Charlottesville City Council, according to a statement today from the Albemarle

On a recent day, Cristine Nardi, executive director of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, was working with four different nonprofits on a variety of challenges: a succession plan for an executive director; how to handle a potential sexual harassment issue within the organization; how to do a

Another development planned for West Main Street comes in the form of a Richmond-based, 75-room boutique hotel and art gallery called Quirk. On August 30, an application for the project was presented to the Board of Architectural Review, and neighbors were there to voice their concerns. “It’s

A journey to India for meditation and enlightenment in late November 2008 turned into a terrorist bloodbath that left 164 people dead throughout multiple locations in Mumbai. Among them were a father and daughter from Synchronicity Foundation in Nelson County. Days later, the modern

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Awkward election night, part 1 After three University Police officers used their PA systems to broadcast “Make America great again” in the wee hours, Chief Michael Gibson says in a November 10 e-mail he was “disappointed” in the inappropriate use. UPD is investigating the incident and the three

“Take it one day at a time,” former smoker David Allard says about the best way to approach kicking a bad habit. “You just have to keep trying.” Picking up his first cigarette at 15 years old, Allard, now 52, says he’s learned that quitting smoking is a different journey for everyone who’s ever